Food portions are frequently produced as follows: A food supply is stored in a filling machine, and is dispensed from the filling machine to a cut-off device. The cut-off device divides the stream of food delivered by the filling machine into individual portions and delivers these portions to a conveyor belt or other transport apparatus. The conveyor belt transports the food portion to a subsequent processing device, which packages or reshapes the food portion or carries out other work steps thereon.
Various designs, interactions, and methods of operation of the individual components are known. The filling machine, for example, can operate in a start-and-stop mode, i.e., the filling machine starts to deliver the stream of food in response to a portion request signal and stops delivery of the stream of food in response to the end of the portion request signal. In another example, such a filling machine may issue a cutting signal to the cut-off device, whereupon the cut-off device separates the stream of food at the end of the portion. Such a method of operation is referred to as a discontinuous system because the filling machine starts and stops its operation according to the portion request signal.
Another system is also known in which the filling machine delivers the stream of food continuously, without changing a filling speed. An external portion request signal is received by the cut-off device, which divides the stream of food into individual portions in response to the portion request signal. To this end, the portion request signal also functions as the cutting signal.
Still another known system includes a higher-level controller that controls the food delivery sequence. In this system, the higher-level controller issues a filling speed signal to the continuously operating filling machine and a cutting signal to the cut-off device. The higher-level controller thus determines the operation of both the cut-off device and the filling machine simultaneously.
An exemplary 100 system having a higher-level controller 147 is depicted in FIG. 5. The path of the food portions in the system 100 is as follows: a dough or a mass of meat is fed to a dough divider or knife 120 and is divided into individual portions by the knife 120. The shaping belt 130 receives the divided dough portions from the knife 120, shapes the portions, and delivers the portions to a chute or flouring device 141. From the flouring device 141, the shaped portions are then delivered to a rotary gate 142, which delivers the shaped portions to a proofing conveyor (also referred to as proofer) 143. The dough shapes are transported from the proofer 143 to a baking sheet 144 and deposited on the baking sheet 144. The dough shapes are then delivered from the baking sheet 144 to a proofing cabinet 145 and then to an oven 146.
The signal control by the higher-level controller 147 of the system 100 of FIG. 5 is as follows: measurement data “D” from the knife 120 and the proofer 143 are input into the controller 147. On the basis of these entered data D, the controller 147 calculates signals which are then issued to the knife 120 and the proofer 143, as well as to the rotary gate 142 and to the flouring device 141
In the exemplary embodiment of the system 100 shown in FIG. 5, the dough is fed continuously. Thus, the portion request signal issued by the controller 147 corresponds to the cutting signal. In this regard, the portion size is determined by the cut-off timing, which is actuated by the controller 147 to the knife 120. The portion request signal is referred to as “A” and the cutting signal is referred to as “B.” As shown in FIG. 5, the portion request signal A is equivalent to the cutting signal B.
The known devices have various disadvantages. When portioning some products (dough, for example), greater weight fluctuations in the portions result when the filling machine is accelerated and slowed for each portion compared to when the portioning is done (for example by cutting) during continuous operation of the filling machine. However, if continuously operating machines in a line define the moment when portions are produced in order for the line to work optimally, that operation results in a contradiction of competing interests. On the one hand, the filling machine must transport at the most constant possible speed for exact portioning of a certain number of portions, yet on the other hand, subsequent components on the line specify whether 99 or 101 portions per minute are needed at that moment as the certain number of portions.
As explained above, other systems are known in which the filling machine is started by an individual signal for each portion, whereupon the filling machine transports the set portion size and then stops again. The separating of the portions takes place at the end of each portion. Such a system has the disadvantage that the starting and stopping operation may result in poor weight precision for the portions.
Also mentioned above are other systems that transport food at a velocity wherein continuous transporting is possible without readjusting the velocity. The separating of the portions in such systems takes place at the cut-off device, controlled by time to cut periodically or by a signal. Such systems have the disadvantage that the portioning yield of the line may drop during operation, for example, from 101 to 99 portions per minute because of fluctuations in the power grid. As a result, the portions are either too heavy or the production is interrupted by a malfunction.
The object of the invention is to address these and other disadvantages of the systems and methods known in the existing art for producing and transporting food portions.